HB 705 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Health Ed. SOL & Curriculum Framework; Board of Education to include water safety instruction.

Summary

Board of Education; Health Standards of Learning; water safety. Requires the Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework, to develop and make available to each school board guidelines for a program of instruction on water safety to be provided as a part of any health education instruction provided to elementary school students. This bill is identical to SB 151.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Signed Apr 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Education and Health Substitute → Chaptered · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and approved as Chapter 204, shifting from a Senate substitute version to an enacted law. The core policy requirement remains the same: the Board of Education must create water safety guidelines for elementary students, focusing on awareness, safe behaviors, and drowning prevention.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on public elementary schools in Virginia, requiring water safety instruction as part of health education.

TIMELINE

The deadline for the Board to develop guidelines was changed from September 1, 2026, to the next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework.

The start date for schools to provide instruction was changed from the 2027-2028 school year to an unspecified date tied to the Board's next curriculum revision.

TECHNICAL

The text was updated to reflect its status as an approved act of the General Assembly, including the approval date of April 6, 2026, and removing draft headers.

REQUIREMENT

The specific requirement for the Board to provide guidelines by a fixed date was replaced with a requirement to include the program in the next revision of the state's health education standards.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 20, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 10, 2026

How they voted

39–0

Passed

Total votes 39

Feb 20, 2026

D Democratic20

20 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

19 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 6, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor-Chapter 204 (effective 7/1/2026)

executive

Mar 31, 2026

Lower · Passed

Signed by Speaker

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Signed by President

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB705ER)

lower

Mar 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference report agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

upper

Mar 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference report agreed to by House (77-Y 17-N 0-A)

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Legislature · Passed

Conference Report released

legislature

Feb 27, 2026

Committee

Senate requested conference committee

upper

Feb 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A)

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate committee offered

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Education and Health with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Education and Health

upper

Feb 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time and passed House (82-Y 16-N 0-A)

lower

Feb 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Education with substitute (17-Y 4-N)

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

House subcommittee offered

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Committee

Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee

lower

Jan 13, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Education

lower

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors